relinquish
Americanverb (used with object)
verb
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to give up (a task, struggle, etc); abandon
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to surrender or renounce (a claim, right, etc)
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to release; let go
Synonym Usage
See abandon.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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nonrelinquishmentnoun
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relinquishernoun
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relinquishmentnoun
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unrelinquishedadjective
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unrelinquishingadjective
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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relinquishsimple
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relinquishessimple
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have relinquishedperfect
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has relinquishedperfect
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am relinquishingprogressive
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are relinquishingprogressive
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is relinquishingprogressive
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have been relinquishingperfect progressive
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has been relinquishingperfect progressive
Past
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relinquishedsimple
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had relinquishedperfect
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was relinquishingprogressive
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were relinquishingprogressive
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had been relinquishingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of relinquish
First recorded in 1425–75; late Middle English relinquissen, relinquisshen, from Middle French relinquiss-, long stem of relinquir ≪ Latin relinquere “to leave behind,” equivalent to re- re- + linquere “to leave” (akin to lend )
Explanation
If you relinquish something, you let it go. You relinquish control of the army when you resign as general. You relinquish your plan to sneak into town when your parents find out what's going on. Relinquish is also commonly used to mean physically letting go of something: The monkey wouldn't relinquish its grasp on the banana. Relinquish descends from Latin relinquere, from the prefix re-, "again" plus linquere, "to leave."
Vocabulary lists containing relinquish
The Declaration of Independence
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The Giver
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Essential Academic Vocabulary for High School Students, List 4
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Donahue "will relinquish command on July 2, 2026," Army spokeswoman Cynthia Smith said in a statement that did not provide a reason for the general's departure after an unusually short 18-month stint in the job.
From Barron's ● Jun. 24, 2026
The economic progress dims hope for a nuclear deal with the U.S., since Washington has often dangled sanctions relief or economic incentives to get Pyongyang to freeze, halt or relinquish its nuclear program.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 8, 2026
SpaceX paid Tuttle Capital Management to relinquish the ticker symbol “SPCX” ahead of the Elon Musk company’s highly anticipated IPO, MarketWatch has learned.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 4, 2026
Nick Timoney's early converted try gave Ulster the perfect start, but Montpellier soon capitalised on mistakes to take a lead they would not relinquish.
From BBC ● May 22, 2026
Indeed, Woodall refused to relinquish leadership of the expedition or make any kind of compromise, even after he received a message from President Mandela appealing for reconciliation as a matter of national interest.
From "Into Thin Air" by Jon Krakauer
If an individual voluntarily relinquishes all future Social Security retirement benefits, why shouldn’t they be allowed to assume that risk themselves?
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 23, 2026
Assuming the U.S. relinquishes control of Venezuela to an elected government that sets stable rules, companies may well find a way to profit there over the long term.
From Barron's ● Jan. 9, 2026
He never relinquishes his dignity, and Mr. Barbor-Might protects it.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 25, 2025
It doesn’t matter if I fight Jon, if he relinquishes the belt, if he waits it out for a bit and then we fight, whatever.
From BBC ● Nov. 16, 2024
He relinquishes Anna from his grasp and takes a step towards me.
From "The Girl on the Train" by Paula Hawkins
Bhatia, the son-in-law of the Indian billionaire businessman Lakshmi Mittal, was director and co-owner at QPR for 18 seasons but stepped down from the board and relinquished ownership of the club on Tuesday afternoon.
From BBC ● Jul. 21, 2026
His thinking evolved during his career, but he never fully relinquished his Randian support of laissez-faire economies free from government intervention.
From Barron's ● Jun. 22, 2026
And if Uthmeier prevails, adoptive parents across Florida could find their legal claim to their children suddenly open to challenge, potentially by the very birth parents who relinquished them, or by the state.
From Slate ● May 13, 2026
Barcelona endured disappointment by exiting the Copa del Rey semi-finals and the Champions League quarter-finals, but have never relinquished their control of the La Liga title race.
From BBC ● May 11, 2026
Margaret Kochamma’s tiny, ordered life relinquished itself to this truly baroque bedlam with the quiet gasp of a warm body entering a chilly sea.
From "The God of Small Things" by Arundhati Roy
While Rhaenyra’s story will touch on “the more sinister side of relinquishing doubt,” D’Arcy considers that there is, perhaps, “a more positive side to that too.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 17, 2026
Doing so means permanently relinquishing control of those funds.
From MarketWatch ● Apr. 17, 2026
Elections followed, but the voluntary relinquishing of power had emboldened the military to make a takeover by force in 1962.
From Barron's ● Dec. 23, 2025
King Charles had stopped financial support for his brother, but Andrew had a private lease that he had previously shown no signs of relinquishing.
From BBC ● Dec. 2, 2025
“Let it go!” says Beetee, throwing up his hands, relinquishing the broadcast back to the Capitol.
From "Mockingjay" by Suzanne Collins
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
